Free PHP Script for Download: "Where's it&nbspRank?"

I needed a tool that quickly tells me what page of search results a URL ranks on at Google for a specific keyword. It didn't need any advanced features or complicated options, just something where if I was visiting a page I could hit a button and instantly find out where it ranks for a keyword. I threw together a quick PHP script that does exactly this, including a browser button so I can have a Where's it rank?" link in my firefox toobar. This script certainly doesn't do anything phenomenal (it took me about an hour to write), but I thought I'd offer the source code for download to SEOmoz readers anyway. This isn't intended to be one of our official SEO tools, it's just something I thought I'd share in case there was someone out there with a similar need.

Installation is simple: upload the file to a folder on your webserver that executes PHP and give it a .php extension.

I know there's a whole host of features this script could have that it doesn't, such as returning results from .co.uk or searching engines other than Google, but that's partially why I offered up the source code. I figured if you needed a very specific feature you could download the source and muck with it yourself. If you use the script on your site a link back is always appreciated, if not that's cool too.

I have made modifications to script. I hope that there is not any problem with it. In Spain we are making an aid of positioning and I have used it to know the position the participants. The modification is in: http://habitaquo-seo.blogspot.com/2007/04/buscar-tu-posicin-habitaquo-en-google.html

It takes you to the page where the results are found, which may be on the first page. Do a search for something that you know may be further back in the results, say you know you are on page 5 of the SERPs, then you should see the results page again, but it will be for results 51-60. Then if your result shows up 4th down, you know you are in the 55th position.

(I think all my math is correct, but it is still a little early so take it with a grain of salt ;)

Thank you. That's more clear. I've tried more examples and it worked 2 out of 5 times for pages I track. Once the tool showed results 31-40 and the actual result was ranked 25. I tried it again just now for the same combination and got a "not in top 100" result. I do show results doing a manual google search - I know - different databases. Anyway, just saying - it's an interesting tool for a quick & dirty ranking but don't take the results to the bank.

Thanks Matt. Despite the tool not working the way some would like it to work I think it's great and very useful as is and I appreciate you're giving us the code. I've been wanting to see something like this for awhile without even realizing it.

oatmeal this is tyler dewitt, don't know if you herad of me or not, but I'm a seo, and programmer, there is a problem with your tool, it works great oatmeal, but did you forget that not every datacenter is the same.

Just a helpful hint, when the keyword is found, make sure when it redirects to google, its pull the search results from the same datacenter that your tool is.

The speed is fine, but zokiii is right, read more into google datacenters, or talk to rand about it, I'm sure he knows the datacenters, and a lot of the datacenters have unique ips you can use, your a programmer you know what to do :)

I know there's a whole host of features this script could have that it doesn't, such as returning results from .co.uk or searching engines other than Google, but that's partially why I offered up the source code. I figured if you needed a very specific feature you could download the source and muck with it yourself.

Oatmeal, this is Kid Disco. Don't know if you heard of me or not, but I'm really cool and there is a problem with your tool. It works great Oatmeal, but it doesn't check search engines other than Google, like Yahoo and Search With Kevin.

Just a helpful hint, it doesn't return results from Google.co.uk and there are a bunch of other very specific features that it doesn't do that I want it to do.

If you are going to release the source code, you should also have an extensive tutorial for those of us who do not know what PHP and HTML is.

Oh, and the tool doesn't work because it says my exotic plants site isn't in the top 100 for poker.

Hey sorry man, I re read the message, I kind of sounded like a smart a***, but its a good tool, but I didn't know if you was aware of that or not, I'm sure you was, but its a good tool man, what I like about them datacenter search tools is you can find out what keywords are where, I have one keywords that is getting over 14k searches per day, and its on the 4th page, but in some areas its in other places, then one datacenter its bouncing up, and down, but its a good tool, highly recommedned.

Tyler - long time no see! Glad to have you on the blog. With regards to Matt's piece of code, I think he's just trying to do something simple with it and for programmers who want to extend the functionality, he's offered the code free. Definitely some good ideas you've got - if you do implement them, link to it - I bet the folks here would love to see it :)

LOL yea, yea its a great piece of code, I agree open source is great, I was going to go to the SES meeting new york, but don't quite have the cash :( right at the momeny, speaking of it has been going back into my company like crazy, but I have been working on a new site design, well I hired a graphics designer, so it should be great.

but yes taht is a great tool, I love all your tools that you guys have here, well hey rand I look forward to seeing you around, I'll be on the blog quite often.